How to organize your kid’s clothes

A common organizing challenge that a lot of parents face is the state of their children’s wardrobe. Kids’ clothing can be quite challenging to organize as unlike adults, kids experience several growth spurts, which means that whatever size clothing they wear currently will likely change in a year or two.

This means that you constantly have to replace clothes, which can be overwhelming and result in a messy closet situation. Read on to find out how you can organize your little one’s clothes.

Lay everything out and sort through

To get started organizing your kid’s clothes, first empty his/her closet and drawers. Take everything out and spread it out where you can see it. Lay it out on a table, their bed, or even on the floor. You can then divide the clothes into the following piles:

- The “keep/stay” pile

This pile is made up of clothes that your child currently wears that are seasonally appropriate and in good condition.

- The “store” pile

The “store” or “save” pile consists of out-of-season clothes that your kid won’t wear for a while. You want to keep the items in this pile in storage until the right season comes around. This way, you will save a lot of space and energy, plus your little one’s drawers and closet will be significantly cleaner.

- The “pass down” pile

If you have younger kids, it's common practice to save clothes that the oldest outgrows for the younger ones to wear when they're old enough. You want to put any of the clothes meant for this purpose in the "pass down" pile.

- The “donate” pile

If there are any gently-worn clothes in your kid's closet that they don't need, consider separating these items from the rest and putting them in a "donate" pile so that they don't unnecessarily take up space. You can then donate them to goodwill.

- The “discard” pile

Put any item that is torn, ripped, overly worn, or faded in the “discard” pile.
You can tackle this sorting task on your own, or ask your children to help you so that they can be involved in the organizational process – whichever way you choose to go about it, just ensure that you get through as many items as possible in one sitting.

Step by step organization

Once you finish with sorting, the next step is to put everything back in place. Start by arranging all the clothes that your child doesn't need at the moment so that you can keep them in storage.

1. Clothing storage solutions

Here are some considerations to keep in mind when looking for storage solutions:

• How many clothes do you plan to store?
• How long do you have to store these clothes? Will you have to take them out again in a couple of months, or are you keeping them in readiness for your younger child to grow into a few years down the road?
• Where do you plan to store the items? Do you intend to keep them in the closet, basement, or attic? Do you have enough storage space?

For effective storage, consider investing in fabric totes or storage bags. Resist the urge to shove the clothes into these storage units and opt to carefully organize your child’s clothes before putting them away instead. Here are some tips on how you can do this:

2. Organize items by season

For most people, the most logical way to put clothes in order is by season. By keeping your little one's summer clothes all in one area, you will have an easy time preparing them for the season when it comes around.

3. Organize items by type

Another way you can organize your child’s items is by type. This is effective if your child has enough seasonal clothes for you to split into different bags. You can dedicate a storage bag to winter coats, another to snow pants, and another to layers. This way, you will have an even easier time unpacking in preparation for the season.

4. Organize items by size

If you intend to store a collection of items that is much more than a season's worth – a closet for younger siblings to grow into, for example – you might want to consider organizing by size. You can sort then sort the clothes further by season within the size categories. For this strategy, you must label the storage totes or bags by size so that you can easily find items you need in the future.

Putting everything in order

Once you finish organizing the items that are reserved for future wearing, you can then put your child’s closet back in order. By this stage, you should be left with a few clothes – only what your kid is currently wearing.

• Neatly fold items and store them in the drawers vertically. You want to avoid stacking items on top of each other as it will make it hard for you to determine what you have later on. Consider installing dividers in your child’s closet for added neatness as well as to save space.
• Consider investing in storage bins. You can keep storage bins in the closets or drawers and use them to separate items. They are ideal for things like underwear, socks, and other similar accessories.
• The good old wicker basket is a great storage solution for your little one’s pajamas and towels. You can keep one or two under your child’s bed and simply pull them out when you need the stored items.
• Use pegs and simple clothes storage racks to store items that can be easily be grabbed such as bags, hats and scarves.
• Opt to hang your child's pants on S-hooks. This is an effective way to make them more compact, plus it makes it easier to select a pair for your child to wear.

Final thoughts

Organizing your kid’s clothes can take up quite a bit of time, but it is a worthwhile exercise that you will especially appreciate if you plan to save some clothes to pass them down to younger siblings. To make the task easier in the future, regularly organize your kid's clothes systematically, and get rid of what you don't need.